...one of the best Dark Stars ever performed, at least for the purest, jazz based, sophisticated improvised ensemble playing they excelled at and perfected around this time. Even if one tires of them (me definitely included), I think even just the pre-verse jams still illustrate why they were worthy of attention as performing artists.
Of course so many other artists merit greater acclaim and attention, and without drugs. But this isn't just some garage band.

This is so very nice. Just take Truckin as an example. Not using the tune as a vehicle to get somewhere else. (Although that is a big part of what the Band did)Just giving us an all out rendition of the tune from start to finish. No lyric flubs or delayed holding pattern while Weir lines up his verses. ( This is one of my favorite versions here)
It seems like every tune the Dead brought to Europe just shines brightly over the course of the 72 tour. The vocal harmonies also really get me. I love hearing Jerry and Phil as Bobby sings.

Jerry & Blue Ron givin' us the goods

What more can be said about this show.

Not much more needs to be said. I wish Donna would hav refrained from squealing on both ends of Playin' instead of just the front side, but it doesn't ruin the song. Same thing with Goin' Down the Road, it's just a bit overpowering towards the end of the song. Otherwise, can't really ask for a much better performance from this period. If like me you are going to try to grab these before the official Europe 72 tour is released, be advised that some songs are at a lower recording level than others and will affect your playback volume. They are: BIODTL, Playin, El Paso, Ramble On Rose, Chinatown Shuffle and You Win Again (as I recall). Had to make a couple of extra passes to (hopefully) get 'em all at the right volume.

All i can say is WOW Keith

This gold standard show is not only a contender for best performance of the tour, it's likely among the best shows ever performed by the band. Both intense and energetic, the show is brilliant from start to finish. Virtually every song is a standout.
Although less than 12 minutes in length, Playin' in the Band is a frenzied psychedelic effort. Looks Like Rain is a remarkable rendition with Jerry on the pedal steel. Naturally the highlight of this performance is the Dark Star, with a gorgeous Feelin' Groovy Jam. The pre-verse jamming is intensely beautiful. Things start to move a bit faster after the verse, with a rather jazzy segment before Jerry again taps the 57th street bridge theme and slows it down as it rumbles into space, finally breaking down before an abrupt transition into Sugar Magnolia. Of course the Good Lovin'/Caution sandwich is also a treasure, it's well jammed and the rap by Pig might be his finest moment on the tour. (100 pts)

Incredible performance and another perfectly remastered recording by Jay Ashley.

What a remaster. Fantastic sound on a fantastic show. Sounds like a "I Know You Rider" jam around the 23 minute mark of Dark Star. Just a great show all around. The 4-7-72 show is partially streamable from the Taper's Section of Dead.net. Not sure how to "capture" those streams, but they sound great. Obviously a soundboard around somewhere.

one of my top 3 shows

My new buddy Wayne turned me on to this show and all I can say is WOW!
I read that the acid The Dead took overseas was made 10 times too strong and thus, They played like their hair was on fire for the whole tour. Great stuff here!

All Kinds of really really good stuf in here. Especially the keyboards. This pretty much epitomizes the sound and the lonnnnng concerts we remeber so well.
Of special note for me on this was Jerry coming out of Dark Star into Sugar Mag like a phantom train screaming down a mountainside, full moon shining, and the engineer has decided --- this is the time he's making the turn without using the breaks.
balls to wall everybody hang on.

A typical GD show from the 1970s that absolutely smokes from end-to-end. Sound is good, mixing sounds great. Wish I had been there. Just another example of why this band is so popular years later.

I wish I could take my beautiful wife and 10 week old son back to the Tivolis Koncertsal on 1972-04-14. It doesn't get any better than this!

The performance, 16 track recording and remastering renders this show a proverbial all time classic. They are a little tentative at first before they drop the "tative" and become a ten.
Thank you Archives for hosting this, thanks Jay Ashley for cleaning it up, thanks boys for letting it pore out of you like Sunday night's snake-handling preachers. Whoa, glory! Pass it around, Bra!
Every note. Every Note.
Every note a life-changing, a slithering in and out power-breathing thing.
Another perfect 10 registered in the annals of GD Lore not lost on an unappreciative universe.
The 10 "sis" stars come to Blue Ron and evoke a life-wrenching performance out of him the like of which it seems he never recovers.
Perhaps he should not have escorted the GD on their European trip but he did and he endured because he knew it was his swan song.
Pigpen gives it every last thing he's got on this performance and by giving it he expends himself past the point of no return.
And so he returns to his Fatherland in a
Very unusual performance of unusual setlists.
A performance in every respect: riveting -- a show that once you start, you cannot end.